A Long Way From Home
by jsk
Summary: AU about what might have happened if Worf had joined The Naiberaite Alliance


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DISCLAIMER: "Star Trek" is the copyrighted by Paramount, and Paramount  
owns Star Trek and the Star Trek Universe. The following story is   
not-for-profit.  
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The Naiberaite Alliance: A Long Way From Home  
---------------------------------------------  
(c) Jasjit Singh, August 1999  
  
Shestan sat at a dimly lit corner table in the smoke-filled bar. Opposite   
him sat his best friend, Golak. The two men spoke quietly while the rest  
of the occupants of the crowded bar milled around and talked in drunken  
voices. Shestan glanced around to make sure that the two friends were not  
noticed.  
  
"How is the war?" he asked Golak. The burly man seated opposite him gave  
a light shrug of his shoulders.  
"It goes," he said wearily. Shestan nodded and returned to nursing his  
drink. A few moments of silence.  
  
And then he smiled.  
  
"It's good to see you again, old friend," he said, a familiar sparkle  
coming into his eyes. Golak laughed and slapped Shestan on the shoulder.  
"It's good to be back, Shestan," he replied. "And not at a better time, I  
see. You are going out on another trading run, and soon, no?"   
"Yes, I almost have a complete crew again."   
"Did you have much trouble?"  
"Only in finding skilled fighters. There is this one" -- Shestan produced  
a backlit information pad from his belt and set it on the table -- "he  
will be in charge of security. He has good credentials. I say middle  
wages until I have proof of his abilities."   
"Good assessment. Will you put him against the tar pits?" "No, there is  
not enough time. He will duel Dakai."  
  
Golak laughed again.  
"Dakai? That hulking monster? Your candidate might as well pack up and  
head home."  
Shestan grinned. "Dakai may be strong, but he knows how to test a fighter.  
To determine his limits."  
"How much of your old crew is going with you this time?"  
"There is Dakai, Seela, Rafi, and of course, you, if you will choose to  
accompany an old friend once again."  
Golak smiled showing white teeth.  
"I will go with you to the ends of the Universe, my friend."  
  
Shestan smiled warmly and clasped his old friends hand in thanks.  
  
***  
  
The candidate was a tall man with knotted muscles, and a weathered face.  
He looked the sailer in every sense of the word. His light blue skin gave  
away his origins of the lower equatorial regions of the planet. Althought  
there were not many of his type of people here, he did not seem to mind  
the stares of the locals. He merely shrugged and walked on.  
  
Shestan and Golak sat on the launch pad of the space shuttle, and watched  
as the tall blue man performed his stretching exercises a few feet away  
from them.  
  
"Do you really think he will be able to withstand Dakai?" asked Golak,  
eyeing the applicant doubtfully. Shestan said nothing, but stroked his  
beard thoughtfully.  
  
Eventually Dakai appeared. He appeared short and squat, but on closer  
inspection one noticed that Dakai walked almost doubled over, so that if  
he stretched himself to his full height he was well over ten feet. His  
bloodshot eyes danced upon the two men, and then a toothy grin broke over  
his face, exposing one long sharp fang. He recognized Golak. With a   
whoop and a shriek he lunged forth at the surprised Golak.  
  
Golak was unsure whether this was an attack or a welcome. Still, he held  
his ground. When the screeching torrent reached him, he was crushed in  
powerful arms the size of tree trunks, in an embrace.  
"Ok, ok" he said, pulling himself away from the giant, "I am glad to see  
you too, Dakai."  
"You are coming with us, on this journey?" queried Dakai.  
"Yes, I am" Golak nodded. Dakai's red eyes danced.  
"Wooooo! wooooo! yes yes yes!"  
  
The blue-skinned man had walked up to them. He stood silently behind  
Dakai. After Dakai had finished his dance of joy, the man addressed him.  
"I am Sheraia," he declared. "You are Dakai."  
  
Dakai nodded and grunted. He sniffed the air, and then he circled  
Sheraia slowly, looking at him from head to toe. Finally he reached his  
original position, and stood with arms folded and his back to Sherai.  
Facing Shestan, Dakai shook his head.  
"No good!" he grunted. "He is useless!"  
  
Dakai did not see the blue skinned man behind him clasp his hands into a  
fist. Only when it was too late did Dakai realize, but by then the fist  
was landing on top of his thick-skulled head. With a loud rap Sheraia's  
hands smashed down onto Dakai, who howled more out of rage than pain.  
Dakai twisted an arm backwards, and grabbed Sheraia's wrists. He yanked  
Sheraia's arms forward and pulled his entire body down in one jerk.  
Before he knew what had happened Sheraia was lying on the ground before  
Dakai.  
  
But Sheraia was not one to give up so easily. Just as quickly as he had  
fallen, he was on his feet, circling Dakai, getting ready for the kill.  
In an ever widening circle the two men walked, until Sheraia made the  
first move.  
  
But it was not fast enough. He lurched out with one arm. Dakai caught  
it, and in the middle of both of their lurches, the sharp crack of  
breaking bone penetrated the quiet air. Sheraia landed on the ground  
clutching his right arm, white bone protruding from ruptured flesh, red  
blood splattering the ground. A short distance away, Dakai landed on his  
feet, and looked over his shoulder at the prostrate Sheraia.  
  
"Get a medic out here for him," growled Shestan. While Golak called for  
a medic, Shestan paced the floor impatiently. If Sheraia could not even  
match Dakai, he would not be a good choice for security officer. In  
their trading runs they often encountered species more vicious even than  
Dakai. They needed someone who could handle the brutal blows, and be   
resourceful enough to lead them out of dangerous situations unscathed.  
Dakai was not a good choice for tactical/strategic security. He was too  
blunt, too straightforward. He had only method: attack. If Shestan had  
put Dakai in charge of tactical and stragetics, they would  
not all be standing there now. No, Dakai had another role. He was  
translator. Strange as it may seem to have someone so attuned to  
fighting, Dakai actually knew all sixty four hundred languaes of the  
region and their various dialects by heart. Shestan found this  
invaluable when it came to making their trading runs.  
  
While the medic attended to a shocked and shaken Sheraia, Shestan groaned.  
"If we don't get a security officer, we cannot leave on schedule," he  
said to Golak. "Other positions I can fill later, but security is  
essential in this sector."  
  
"Then I wish to apply."  
  
Shestan swung around to face the owner of the voice. He stood at the  
doorway, with a bad in hand. He was an alien they had not seen before.  
High, ridged forehead and nose. Long, waving hair. And a flowing beard.  
Shestan took in the man's size and  
features instantly.  
He would pose a formidable challenge, even to Dakai, if he knew how to fight.  
"Can you fight?" asked Shestan.  
"I can," came the reply.  
"Will you prove it?"  
"Any day."  
"This is Dakai," said Shestan, waving to Dakai who still hovered nearby,  
"he will duel with you."  
  
The man dropped his bag and stepped forward. Instantly he took on a pose  
that was foriegn to Shestan. His arms and legs moved in concert as he  
approached Dakai. Dakai struck out to grab for a leg but caught only air.  
An instant later, the strangers foot struck Dakai's face forcefully.  
  
Dakai howled at the humiliation.  
  
The stranger swung about and struck Dakai again. This time Dakai grabbed  
his hand, but instead of snapping it, he lost his grip, and stumbled  
forward. He had expected to put his weight on his man but again found  
only air. From behind him the stranger came at him, striking him with his  
hands. Dakai fell to the ground.  
  
Shestan and Golak stood transfixed.  
"I don't know about you," said Golak, "but I have never seen a man fell  
Dakai before."   
Shestan merely nodded.  
  
Dakai was on his feet in an instant. The two men faced each other. Dakai  
grinned baring a fang. The stranger grinned in an equally vicious manner,  
revealing his sharp canines. The two launched at each other at a blinding  
speed, and the result was a blur for the spectators. They heard growling  
and then a whine.  
  
When the dust cleared the stranger had Dakai pinned to the floor, and was  
holding his arm up with his foot on his shoulder joint. The position must  
have hurt Dakai considerably, for whenever the stranger applied force to  
the joint Dakai whined in pain.  
  
"Enough," said Shestan, waving one arm. "You have succeeded. The  
position of security officer aboard my ship is open to you, should you  
wish to accept."  
"I do," replied the stranger, letting go of Dakai, who stood up and  
massaged his sore arm, looking indignantly at the newcomer who had just  
bested him.  
"What is your name?" asked Shestan.  
  
The stranger stood up straight and replied:  
"I am Worf, son of Mogh."  
  
"Well met, Worf, son of Mogh, I am Shestan. This is Golak, my second.  
And Dakai, whom you have already met. Welcome to the Naiberaite Alliance."  
  
  
T h e E n d  
(c) Jasjit Singh, 1999  
  



End file.
